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Exodus 25:21-22, Hebrews 10:19-22, John 6:31-35

Jesus and the Ark of the Covenant

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
December 28, 2021

Jesus is not Called “The Ark of the Lord” but there are so many allusions from it to the Christ it’s unmistakable. It is called by various names: The Ark of God, the Ark of the Testimony, The Ark of the Covenant, The Ark of the Lord, and even the Ark of your might (See Psalm 132:8). But we mostly know it as the “Ark of the Covenant.” It was the actual presence of God with his people. Even Indiana Jones knows that God dwells in the Ark of the Covenant. The cloud and the fire that led Israel from Egypt settled on the Ark and represented the presence of God who had promised to be “with” his people. It’s the place where God promised to meet with His people in Exodus 25:21-22. It says, “And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel.”

There are some things about the Ark of the Covenant that set the stage for the presence of God with mankind in the person of Jesus. Numbers 10:33 speaks of God “going ahead” of them to lead the way to the place of rest, “And the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them three days’ journey, to seek out a resting place for them.” In Matthew 11:28, Jesus calls people to himself to find true “rest for their souls.” He is the resting place. Also, when Jesus talked about himself being the “good shepherd” he said in John 10:4, “When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.” In the same way as the went “before” the people, Jesus goes “before” those who believe in him. When the Temple was built the Ark of the Covenant was put in the Holiest of all places. Only the High Priests could come into that place where God had promised to be “with them.” There was a huge curtain, veil, the kept regular people from having access to the presence of God. But Jesus took care of that barrier on the cross. Hebrews 10:19-22 tells us, “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus,  by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith…”

The Israelites were directed to gather a quart of the manna that they had eaten during their wilderness wanderings and place it in the Ark of the Covenant. God wanted them to remember how God fed them throughout their wanderings every day. But Jesus made it clear to the people and to us that the “real” manna isn’t the stuff they ate in the Wilderness. In john 6:31-35 we read what Jesus said to the Israelites, “Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’  Jesus then said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.  For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ They said to him, ‘Sir, give us this bread always.’ Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.’” Also notice that the “Rod of Aaron” that budded was really a shepherd’s staff. Jesus is the good shepherd who leads his people beside the still waters in green pastures where they find nourishment and rest. Jesus is the “bread of life” from which one is nourished with that which will lead to eternal life through simple faith in the good Shepherd.

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Malachi 3:1, Isaiah 63:9

The Angel of the Covenant!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
December 27, 2021

Alumni of Ohio State University like to let everyone know that their university is unique from all others and is in a class all its own. They will refer to it as “The” Ohio State University to make that clear. There is not any others like it! Of course that’s one of the grammatical uses of the definite article “the.” I hesitated to use that example but it does illustrate the use of the definite article. The Bible used that article when referring to one particular angel in the Old Testament. In Greek the word for “Angel” is also frequently translated as “messenger.” I think that’s why John Nelson Darby translated Malachi 3:1 leaning on the Greek Translation of the Old Testament called the Septuagint. Most translations call this person the “Messenger of the Covenant.” But, Darby translates it as “Angel of the Covenant.” This verse in the last book of the Old Testament foresees the coming of a messenger who will prepare the way for the Messiah. We see the Gospels quoting this part of the verse to refer to John the Baptist. But the verse goes on to foresee the coming of Jesus, who will fulfill God’s promises of salvation as contained throughout the Old Testament. Here’s how Darby translates Malachi 3:1, “Behold, I send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me; and the Lord whom ye seek will suddenly come to his temple, and the Angel of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he cometh, saith Jehovah of hosts.”

There are lots of angels mentioned in the Bible but there is only one “Angel of the Covenant.” He is “the” angel! Now he is called other things in the Old Testament but always with the definite article. He is referred to as “The Angel of the Lord” over a hundred times. He’s called “The Angel of God.” The term “Angel” is even used to refer to Satan as the unique and only angel like himself. Revelation 9:11 calls him “The Angel of the bottomless pit.” But “The Angel of God,” “The Angel of the Lord,” and “The Angel of the Covenant” cannot be mistaken for anything but the pre-incarnate Jesus, the Messiah himself. Isaiah 63:9 calls him “The Angel of His Presence.” Meaning the manifestation of God Himself to his people. In 1 Kings 19:7, It was “The angel of the Lord” that fed Elijah in the wilderness and Charles Boll observes “ He who prepared a meal for weary Elijah and said to him, “Arise and eat,” is the same who prepared a meal for tired disciples on the shore of Galilee and said to them, “Come and dine.” Yes, the scriptures make it obvious that “The Angel of the Lord” is none other that the Christ Himself.

Malachi calls this Angel “the one you delight in.” He is not the one you need to fear and cringe before. He’s the one who brings comfort to his suffering people. Jesus said himself that he did not come to “condemn” but to “save.” Those who believe in Jesus, look forward to his coming. He is the one we delight in. In so many of the references referring to the actions of “The Angel of the Lord” we see that when he appears he brings comfort to the people amidst great trials and sufferings. He was the one who comforted Hagar in the wilderness. He was the one who fed Elijah, He was the one that Abraham spoke to, that Isaac followed, and that Jacob called on the bless his descendants. At his death in Genesis 48:15-16, Jacob prays, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day, the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys; and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.” Finishing up the quote from Isaiah 63:9, we read about this “one and only angel” that took care of His people, Israel, and will take care of us: “ In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.”

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John 12:37-40, Isaiah 53:1, Psalm 118:15-16

The Arm of the Lord!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
December 26, 2021

When Jesus had performed many miracles the religious leaders and others still did not believe in him. Jesus then spoke to his disciples using a quote from Isaiah and applying it to himself. In john 12:37-40 we read, “Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.” The “arm of the Lord” phrase shows up three times in Isaiah but it seems the quote that Jesus is referring to comes from Chapter 53 which is the most famous of the messianic passages. Isaiah 53:1, begins the chapter saying, “Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” Further the Psalmist sings about the “arm of the Lord.” Psalm 118:15-16 calls it the “right arm of the Lord.” It says, “Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly. The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things! The strong right arm of the Lord is raised in triumph. The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things!” Isaiah and the Psalmist both set forth the prophecy concerning the Messiah so that the people would see Jesus as the one the Bible promised from the beginning. But, like today, even the marvelous works of God do not evoke faith in everyone.

All the mighty works, miracles, that Jesus performed were motivated to bring people to recognize Him for who He truly was. He was the Lord, Himself, manifested to us in the flesh. He was the promised “Immanuel” (God with us) that we celebrate in the Christmas season! Jesus even told those who did not believe in Him to look at the miracles, the mighty deeds, and let the mighty deeds speak to them about the one who performs them. He did not simply change water to wine to show off. He did not give sight to the blind, healing to the lame and sick because he felt sorry for them and wanted to help. All the miracles that Jesus performed were performed in order to open the hearts and minds to Him and to bring salvation to all who would believe. Jesus condemned the ones who followed him just to get the free bread or to learn how to perform miracles themselves. He wanted their faith! He wanted them to trust Him. It’s not about the miracles themselves, rather it’s about the miracle worker. God has revealed himself to us in the person of His son, Jesus.

The “arm of the Lord” is Jesus’ arm! This was clearly seen in the miracle where Jesus brings Peter to walk on the water. Peter saw Jesus walking on the water coming toward them who were in the boat and called out for Jesus to let him also walk on the water. Jesus simply told Peter to come out of the boat and do it! Without question Peter did climb out of the boat and walk on the water, at least for a few minutes. Then Matthew 14:30-31 tells us, “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, ‘Lord, save me.’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’”. I like to think that Jesus used the hand at the end of his “right arm.” Just as the Lord’s right arm was powerful enough to save Peter it is also powerful enough to save us through all the storms of life along with the ultimate demise into the sea of death. We can relax in His hand and trust His intention and ability. He will not let us drown. Arthur Pink said it like this, “One of the outstanding glories of the gospel is its promise of eternal security to all who truly believe it. The gospel presents no third-rate physician who is competent to treat only the milder cases, but one who heals all manner of sickness, who is capable of curing the most desperate cases. It proclaims no feeble redeemer, but one who is mighty to save.”

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Revelation 1:7-8

The Pen is Mightier than the Sword

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
December 24, 2021

According to my internet search, “The English words ‘The pen is mightier than the sword’ were first written by novelist and playwright Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1839, in his historical play Cardinal Richelieu. Richelieu, chief minister to King Louis XIII, discovers a plot to kill him, but as a priest he is unable to take up arms against his enemies. His page, Francois, points out: But now, at your command are other weapons, my good Lord. Richelieu agrees: The pen is mightier than the sword… Take away the sword; States can be saved without it! The saying quickly gained currency, says Susan Ratcliffe, associate editor of the Oxford Quotations Dictionaries. ‘By the 1840s it was a commonplace.’” Now, when Jesus called himself the “Alpha and the Omega” one can’t help but think of the alphabet, the letters of which are all written with a pen. But when Jesus calls Himself the “Alpha and the Omega” in Revelation 1:8 he adds a final title to his name. Look at this, “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.’” Yes indeed! The pen proved much mightier than the sword.

I just finished reading Phillip Schaff’s History of the Christian Church, Volume II. I haven’t finished the whole volume but I did finish the section dealing with the martyrdom of Christians during the first 300 years of Christianity. They were burned alive. They were thrown to wild beasts. They were tortured in many ways, but the most common form of execution was with the “sword.” All these Martyrs had put their faith in the “Almighty” one that they had learned about through the writings (The New Testament) of those who have gone before them. Most of the writers of the New Testament ended as Martyrs themselves but their written works of the pen didn’t die with them! During these periods of persecution the emperors also attempted to eliminate the writings of the Apostles. When one copy was burned, four more appeared in the Empire. The Bible, inspired by God, containing the “Word” of God manifested to man in the human person of God’s son, Jesus, persevered through thousands of executions. Tertullian, one of the more prolific in penmanship (in contrast to swordsmanship) wrote, “The blood of the Martyrs is the seed of the Church.” Man’s swords could not overcome the almighty power of God’s son revealed to all mankind through the pens of the Apostles! By 300, those who wielded the swords of execution were all gone but the words of the Bible persevered and took over the entire Roman Empire with the conversion of Constantine.

Looking at Revelation 1:7 and 8 together we read, “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.’” The sword that pierced Jesus’ side to insure his death failed marvelously! No human sword can stop the “Almighty.” I’m not as good with the “pen” and with words as I should be so i have learned to lean on the words of others to help me when i’m speechless. Here’s what Charles Bolls writes about the Almighty: “His almightiness is expressed alike in the material, physical, spiritual and judicial realms. This feature may also be applied to His sublimity of thought, stability of mind, sovereignty of will, sufficiency of wisdom, security of power, suitability of grace and serenity of peace, in all of which He is the Almighty. When we pause to ponder His enormous energy, His prodigious power, His stupendous strength and marvelous might, these ponderous qualities of ableness, with their tremendous potential, cause us to tremble at the thought of meeting such forces in exercise; but when we turn and learn of the blended qualities of goodness demonstrated in the character of divine activity, we behold the gracious care, generous pity, gorgeous gifts and glorious love which are lavished so freely, and our fears depart for we view His heart.”

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Daniel 7:13-14, Hebrews 13:8, 1:12

Jesus is the “Ancient of Days”

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
December 24, 2021

Jesus is the “Alpha and the Omega.” As such he is also the “author” of everything. Another “A” title of Jesus is “Ancient of Days.” Daniel uses this phrase frequently. In Daniel 7:9 we read, “I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of Days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like the pure wool.” The “Ancient of Days” is a strange title for us but the Bible uses it more than once to speak of Jesus. We can only surmise from other passages what that might imply. I’m thinking of Hebrews 13:8:, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” I’ll be 75 next month (January 15, 2022). My grand kids might want to refer to me as the “ancient of days” and I sometimes feel that would be correct. Things have certainly changed over the years for me. I’m not up for a lot of running. I don’t care too much for the idea of roller coasters and other amusement park rides. I’ve no interest in bungee jumping or hang gliding, or high diving. I’ve done some of that in my youth but, wow, have I changed. But the days and the years do not change Jesus! I like the way Charles Rolls puts it. He writes, “Christ is not described here as the Ancient of Years, which would imply age, but Ancient of Days, which indicates His ageless, timeless, changeless character. No furrows disfigure His graceful features, no defects mar His clear discernment, nor is there any weakness in His wondrous will. His body of glory and beauty of countenance are unwrinkled by years, while His vigorous vitality and virtuous energy are unwearied by ceaseless activity. Ages are absolutely unable to age this ageless One who abides unchanged.”

The United Bible Society’s handbook for translators explains that Hebrews 13:8 could be confusing if not translated correctly. It says, “To communicate this information clearly may require considerable expansion; for example, “Jesus Christ never changes. He has not changed in the past, he does not change now, and he will never change in the future.” We live in a world where the only thing you can truly count on is change! We along with the world around us is always changing. Kent Hughes says it well in his commentary on Hebrews. He writes, “Forests rise and stand for a millennium—and fade into deserts. Rivers cut canyons and disappear. Newtonian physics, with its straight lines and right angles, is replaced by Einstein’s elegant curves of relativity. The only thing that is sure is change! We humans appear for a little while to laugh and weep and work and play, and then we are gone. This is a melancholy thought at best. Our souls long for something solid.”

In the 60’s, i used to be a fan of the Rock and Roll band called “The Doors.” Jim Morrison was their lead singer who died of an overdose of some drug at a very early age. But i remember one of their songs, “Riders on the Storm.” Since becoming a Christian I’ve preferred the poetry of William Cowper who wrote “God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform; he plants His footsteps in the sea And rides upon the storm.” In Acts Jesus ascended into heaven in the clouds and and the angel told his disciples that he would return in the same fashion. I expect that Jesus is the one and only true “rider on the storm.” Daniel 7:13-14 even uses the phrase to speak of the coming of the Messiah’s reign on earth and says, “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” The point of the “Ancient of Days” is that although everything around us will change. Entropy is the second law of thermodynamics. Everything is deteriorating! But not Jesus! The author of Hebrews knew his Psalms well. When he began his letter he quoted from Psalm 102:27. It’ says, “but you are the same, and your years have no end.” He expanded on the Psalmists idea when he wrote Hebrews 1:12, “like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end.” Want stability? The only thing in this world or the next that will not change is Jesus, “The Ancient of Days.” We need to look to him, “The author of our faith” who will one day come riding back on the clouds.

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Various Old and New Testament passages

Jesus is the author!!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
December 23, 2021

Jesus was the “Alpha and the Omega.” He is the first and the last. He is the God who is, who was, and who is to come. Jesus is the ultimate and final message to us from God Himself. Paul prayed for the Ephesians, and for us, that we might comprehend this truth and grasp the message that God has for us all. The Apostle John summarized that message from God for us in John 3:16, a very well known passage. It says, That God so loved the world (everybody) that he gave his only begotten son, so that whoever would believe in Him would not perish but have everlasting life. Jesus did not come to condemn the world, but to save it! As the “Word” from God he brings us the ultimate message! When Jesus calls himself the “alpha and the omega” he’s not just saying he’s the first and the last. The figure of speed means to include everything in between. He’s the entire communication from God to man. He’s the A to Z of it all! As Jesus lived His life on earth and completed his mission he put together all the letters necessary for us to understand God’s message. This is why the writer to the Hebrews 5:9 calls Jesus “…the author of eternal salvation.” Authors write books. Jesus wrote the book of eternal life for all who would believe.

Luke also calls Jesus an “author.” The Amplified Bible at Luke 1:68-69 says, “Blessed (praised and extolled and thanked) be the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has come and brought deliverance and redemption to His people! And He has raised up a Horn of salvation [a mighty and valiant Helper, the Author of salvation] for us in the house of David His servant.” When Peter preached one of his famous sermons to the Jewish leaders, he also called Jesus an “author.” Acts 3:15 is where Peter says to the Jewish officials, “…you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead.” In Psalm 74:12 (The New Jerusalem Bible), the writer sings about the Lord and calls him the “author of saving acts throughout the earth.” I like the way the Living Bible Translates Ephesians 1:23. He calls Jesus “…the Author and Giver of everything everywhere.” Further in Hebrews 12:1-2, the writer encourages his readers to remain steadfast through the hardships of life. He says, “…let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” There is one more mention of Jesus being an “author” and it’s in the letter that He wrote to the church at Laodicea in Revelation 3:14. He says, “These are the words of the Amen, the trusty and faithful and true Witness, the Origin and Beginning and Author of God’s creation.”

He is certainly the “alpha and the omega.” He wrote the books! Jesus is the author of life, eternal life. Jesus is the author of our salvation. He’s the author and giver of everything everywhere. He is the author of our faith. He is the author of God’s creation. Yet, part of his own creation want to challenge him, they deny him, and they reject him. Isaiah 29:16 tells us of the clay pot that challenges the potter. Then he asks the question, “ “Does a book say to its author, ‘He didn’t write a word of me’”? How can the pot condemn the potter? How can the book accuse it’s author? But it’s still like that with Jesus, the author, of life. I believe this helps us understand the first Chapter of John’s Gospel a little better. John 1:1-4 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.  In him was life, and the life was the light of men.” Then in John 1:10-14, we read, “He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.  But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

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Revelation 1:8, 22:13, Luke 24:27, Ephesians 1:17-23, John 1:1, 14

Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
December 22, 2021

At the beginning of the book of Revelation, chapter 1 and verse 8, John tells us, “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.’” Then In Revelation 22:13, Jesus repeats the phrase and says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” You already know that alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet and omega is the last letter. When they are put together like this they comprise a figure of speech called a merism. The two extremes of a set, the book ends, are mentioned but the intent is to say that the set includes everything in between. If we wanted to tell someone that we searched everywhere for something we might say “we searched high and low.” That’s a merism! Another Biblical example comes from the very first verse in the Bible. Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” The phrase “the heavens and the earth” is a merism. It’s meant to communicate the truth that God created everything in between as well. One last biblical example of a merism is seen in Psalm 139:2, where David writes of God “you know my sitting down and my rising up.” In other words, God knows every movement of David’s life. He knows every movement of our lives as well.

Jesus comprises everything that God wants to say to us! Jesus is the Word of God come to us in human form. Getting a grasp of the message that God wants us to hear in his one and only begotten son, Jesus, is the most important thing in life. Paul prayed for the Ephesians that they might begin to grasp this truth as he began his letter to them. Ephesians 1:17-23 is where Paul tells them about his prayer “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might  that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” That is one incredibly long sentence but Paul’s prayer might be boiled down to his passion to see his readers grasp the true and ultimate message from God contained in Jesus Christ. That is the “Good News” that can change a persons life forever! It’s coming to grasp the message in Christ from God the Father.

A figure of speech is not needed in Paul’s prayer. He says straight forward that Jesus is “all in all.” Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega of everything God wants us to know about himself. Again in Revelation 1:8, Jesus describes himself as the one “who is and who was and who is to come.” Jesus is not bounded by time. He’s the past, present and the future. Since Jesus uses the letters of the alpha bet to describe himself it’s again clear he’s using the way humans communicate. This is how Jesus is “God’s Word” to man. John 1 tells us “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” Then he goes on to say in verse 14, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Jesus is the subject of the Old Testament as he explained to the religious leaders of his day as well as the two disciples on the road to Emmaus when Jesus explained to them how He was the subject of all past revelation. Luke tells us in Luke 24:27, “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” Jesus is not only the past message but the present one. He stands before the two disciples in the current age bringing a message from God to them as well as to us in our day! Paul prays that we’ll get the message. Jesus is also the future. It’s in the last book of the Bible that John speaks of his visions of the future coming of Christ. It’s at the beginning and ending of this book that Jesus calls himself the “Alpha and the Omega.” He will reign on earth in the future era. Jesus is indeed the entire message from God. He is the “all in all.” He is the beginning and the end. In Christ, is everything we need to know about God – past, present and future!

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Isaiah 7:14, Acts 7:9-10

O Come…. O Come… Immanuel!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
December 15, 2021

Immanuel! We hear this word a lot during the Christmas season. In Isaiah 7:14 the Lord promised Ahaz a sign, “behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” It means “God with us.” This verse has been a key one for establishing the deity of Christ. Jesus was not a created being but the “only begotten Son” of God himself. Jesus was God in the flesh and he left his home on high to pitch his tent “tabernacle” with us, to be with us, to enter into our experience. Jesus was in a very real sense God with us in the flesh. But what does it mean for “God to be with us.”

Acts 7:9-10, tells us that God was with Joseph when his brothers sold him into slavery. That verse says, “God  was with him and rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom…” The book of Judges teaches us that “God was with” all of the Judges. Judges 2:18 says, “Whenever the LORD raised up judges for them, the LORD was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies…” The name “Immanuel” might mean a lot of things but we have good reason to believe that it means God will rescue us from our afflictions and he will fight for us and give us victory over our enemies.

My favorite Christmas Hymn is “O Come, O Come Immanuel.” One of the lessor known verses of this hymn is the prayer for the Christ, the Messiah, to rescue us from our afflictions. It goes like this, “O come, O Bright and Morning Star, and bring us comfort from afar! Dispel the shadows of the night and turn our darkness into light.” Another verse addresses his victory over our ultimate enemy. It goes like this, “O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free Thine own from Satan’s tyranny. From depths of hell Thy people save And give them victory o’er the grave.” My point is that “Immanuel” has come in the person of Christ. He is indeed with us through faith as he was with Joseph in his trials and as he was with the Judges in bringing them victory.  In Christ we find eternal comfort amidst our trials. In Christ we find eternal victory over the last and greatest of our enemies.

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